The Greene Space at WNYC and WQXR Continues the Celebration of The 75th Anniversary of Zora Neale Hurston's THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD

NEW YORK, NY, September 12, 2012

This past February, The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at WNYC and WQXR kicked off a multiplatform festival commemorating the 75th anniversary of Zora Neale Hurston's landmark novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Luminaries including Alice Walker, Sonia Sanchez, Ruby Dee, as well as Hurston's niece Lucy Anne Hurston, took part, and the first ever radio play adaptation was recorded before a live audience.

The celebration continues when WNYC 93. 9 FM broadcasts the radio play adaptation on Friday, September 14 from 8-10pm. The play was directed by Tony Award-winning actor RUBEN SANTIAGO-HUDSON, with Tony Award and Emmy Award-Winning Actress PHYLICIA RASHAD narrating and LESLIE UGGAMS starring as Grandmother. BRANDON DIRDEN played the role of Tea Cake, and ROSLYN RUFF played Janie, the story's main character.

On Monday, September 17th at 7pm, The Greene Space will host an original performance art piece from the viewpoint of the character Tea Cake, Janie's love interest, with award-winning poet and actor Carl Hancock Rux. A conversation will follow the performance featuring a panel of men who are leaders in a variety of fields to discuss their experiences of the novel. Panelists include Patrik Henry Bass of Essence magazine; Arthur Yorinks, who adapted the book for The Greene Space's radio drama; Brandon Dirdon who played Teacake in the radio drama and others. The moderator will be television producer Patrick Riley. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased in advance at http://www.thegreenespace.org.

The Greene Space has also won a Big Read grant to foster engagement around Zora Neale Hurston's THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD. Throughout the fall, the Community Engagement Department of WNYC and WQXR will be hosting ten listening sessions/book discussions in the community in partnership with the Brooklyn Public Library and other community partners.The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The Big Read is managed by Arts Midwest and provides communities nationwide with the opportunity to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 31 selections from U.S. and world literature.

New York Public Radio is New York's premier public radio franchise, comprising WNYC, WQXR, The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, and New Jersey Public Radio, as well as http://www.wnyc.org, http://www.wqxr.org, http://www.thegreenespace.org and http://www.njpublicradio.org. As America's most listened-to AM/FM news and talk public radio stations, reaching 1.1 million listeners every week, WNYC extends New York City's cultural riches to the entire country on-air and online, and presents the best national offerings from networks National Public Radio, Public Radio International, American Public Media, and the British Broadcasting Company. WQXR is New York City's sole 24-hour classical music station, presenting new and landmark classical recordings as well as live concerts from the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, among other New York City venues, immersing listeners in the city's rich musical life. In addition to its audio content, WNYC and WQXR produce content for live, radio and web audiences from The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, the station's street-level multipurpose, multiplatform broadcast studio and performance space. New Jersey Public Radio extends WNYC reach and service more deeply into New Jersey. For more information about New York Public Radio, visit http://www.nypublicradio.org.

Press contacts:
Gilda Squire
Gilda Squire Media Relations
(212) 928-8090 / gildasquire@verizon.net

Simone Cooper, Simone Cooper Public Relations
252-338-6389 / scpr@aol.com

Jennifer Houlihan, Director, Publicity
New York Public Radio / WNYC/ WQXR / The Greene Space
(646) 829-4497 / jhoulihan@nypublicradio.org